- Early successes: The League of Nations successfully managed to resolve several international disputes in its early years. These included: Åland Islands dispute, Greco-Bulgarian conflict, and the Mosul dispute between Turkey and Iraq.
- Established international norms: The League of Nations played a crucial role in establishing international norms and principles, such as the principle of collective security and peaceful resolution of conflicts. These norms have had a lasting impact on international relations.
- Mandate system: The League of Nations established the mandate system to administer former German and Ottoman territories after World War I. Some mandates eventually gained independence, and the system contributed to the decolonization process.
- Social and humanitarian achievements: The League of Nations made significant contributions in areas such as public health, social welfare, refugee assistance, and the fight against drug trafficking and slavery.
- Promotion of international cooperation: The League of Nations facilitated multilateral cooperation among nations in various fields, including economic, social, and technical issues.
Failures:
- Inability to prevent World War II: The League of Nations' most significant failure was its inability to prevent the outbreak of World War II. The League failed to take effective action against the aggressive actions of countries like Italy, Germany, and Japan.
- Lack of enforcement mechanisms: The League of Nations lacked the power and mechanisms to enforce its decisions and resolutions. This made it difficult for the League to address serious conflicts and violations of international law.
- Influence of national interests: The League of Nations was often influenced by the self-interests of its member states. This made it difficult for the League to act impartially and effectively in resolving disputes.
- Withdrawal of major powers: The withdrawal of key powers, such as the United States, Germany, Italy, and Japan, weakened the League of Nations and undermined its authority.
- Inability to address decolonization: The League of Nations did not effectively address the growing demands for decolonization and self-determination in various parts of the world.
Overall, the League of Nations had a mixed record of success and failure in dealing with disputes during its existence. While it achieved some successes in its early years and played an important role in shaping international norms, it ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of World War II and address other major challenges.